Making Requests

LitePost supports all standard HTTP methods and gives you full control over every part of an outgoing request -- URL, parameters, headers, body, and cookies.

HTTP Methods

Select a method from the dropdown to the left of the URL bar. The following methods are available:

Method	Typical Use
GET	Retrieve a resource
POST	Create a resource or submit data
PUT	Replace a resource entirely
PATCH	Partially update a resource
DELETE	Remove a resource
HEAD	Retrieve headers only (no body)
OPTIONS	Query supported methods/CORS info

The selected method is displayed in the URL bar and persists with the tab.

URL Bar and Sending

Type or paste a full URL into the URL bar:

https://api.example.com/v1/users

Press the Send button (or hit Enter in the URL bar) to execute the request. LitePost will resolve environment variables in the URL before sending -- see the Environments documentation for details. When the URL contains , a badge appears at the end of the URL bar; hover it to see each variable's resolved value, with a ⚠ warning for anything the active environment cannot resolve.

If the URL contains query parameters inline (e.g. ?page=1&limit=20), they will be parsed and shown in the Query Parameters editor automatically.

Query Parameters

Below the URL bar, the Params chip opens an editor for building query parameters as key-value pairs without hand-editing the URL string. (Each request section -- Params, Headers, Auth, Body, Tests, and the rest under the ⋯ menu -- works this way: click the chip to open its editor, click again or send the request to collapse it, and drag the handle underneath to resize.)

Each parameter row has:

• Key -- the parameter name
• Value -- the parameter value
• Toggle -- a checkbox to enable or disable the parameter without deleting it

Disabled parameters stay in the list but are excluded from the outgoing URL. This is useful for experimenting with optional parameters.

Key:   page      Value: 1        [enabled]
Key:   limit     Value: 20       [enabled]
Key:   debug     Value: true     [disabled]

The URL bar updates in real time as you add, remove, or toggle parameters.

Request Headers

The Headers chip opens an editor for attaching custom HTTP headers as key-value pairs. Like query parameters, each header has a toggle to enable or disable it individually, and values containing show an inline badge with their resolved values.

Key:   Content-Type     Value: application/json    [enabled]
Key:   X-Request-ID     Value: abc-123             [enabled]
Key:   X-Debug-Mode     Value: verbose             [disabled]

LitePost automatically includes standard headers such as User-Agent and Accept. Any headers you add override the defaults when there is a name collision.

Request Body

When using methods that accept a body (POST, PUT, PATCH), select a body type from the dropdown above the body editor. The available types are described below.

JSON

The default body type for most API work. LitePost provides a Monaco-based editor with:

• Syntax highlighting
• Bracket matching and auto-closing
• Inline validation for malformed JSON

{
  "name": "Jane Doe",
  "email": "jane@example.com",
  "roles": ["admin", "editor"]
}

The Content-Type header is set to application/json automatically.

Form URL-Encoded

A key-value editor for application/x-www-form-urlencoded bodies -- the encoding used by standard HTML forms.

Key:   username    Value: janedoe
Key:   password    Value: s3cret

Values are URL-encoded on send. Each row can be toggled on or off.

Multipart/Form-Data

A key-value editor that also supports file uploads. Each row can be either a text field or a file field:

• Text fields -- enter a key and a string value.
• File fields -- click the file selector to attach a file from disk.

Key:   description   Value: "Profile photo"     (text)
Key:   avatar        Value: avatar.png           (file)

The Content-Type header is set to multipart/form-data with an auto-generated boundary.

XML

A plain-text editor for XML payloads. The Content-Type header is set to application/xml.

<user>
  <name>Jane Doe</name>
  <email>jane@example.com</email>
</user>

Plain Text

A plain-text editor with no format-specific features. The Content-Type header is set to text/plain.

HTML

A plain-text editor for HTML content. The Content-Type header is set to text/html.

<div class="notification">
  <p>Your order has been confirmed.</p>
</div>

Cookies

The Cookies section lets you attach cookies to outgoing requests as key-value pairs. Cookies received in Set-Cookie response headers are automatically parsed and displayed, so you can inspect, modify, and resend them on subsequent requests.

TIP

If the API you are testing relies on session cookies, send a login request first. LitePost will capture the Set-Cookie values and make them available for follow-up requests.

Tabs

LitePost supports multiple concurrent request tabs. Each tab preserves the full request state:

• HTTP method and URL
• Query parameters
• Headers
• Body type and content
• Auth configuration
• Cookies

You can:

• Open a new tab using the + button in the tab bar.
• Rename a tab by double-clicking its title and typing a new name.
• Close a tab with the close button on the tab.
• Switch between tabs by clicking them -- the request and response panels update immediately.

Tabs are session-scoped: they reset when you close LitePost. To keep a request permanently, save it to a collection -- and everything you send is always recorded in the history sidebar, so recent work is one click away after a restart.